Faceless Friend
by Rellik 01011993
Summary: There's a photo on Abby's desk of a man facing away from the camera. No matter how often they ask, she never gives them a straight answer on who he is. Until he shows up one day.
1. Chapter 1

There was a photo on Abby's desk of her and a man. It sat above Bert, in pride of place. You couldn't see his face, though you could see the right side of Abby's. It was taken from behind them, but Abby was staring up at him with a bright smile. His arm was wrapped protectively around her shoulders. The team got the feeling he was watching something they couldn't see in the photo. That he was protecting her from whatever it was.

They had asked Abby about it many times, but she had never given them a straight answer. Always something evasive. "Oh, that's my saviour." Or "My gorgeous, nameless, faceless friend." Never a name, never a description, never even a nickname. But they could see how happy just thinking of him made her. They wondered why they had never met him, and why he wasn't still around. Abby was obviously very fond of him, despite the fact that he was gone, so whatever it was hadn't ended badly.

Then one day he showed up. In their bullpen assessing the Most Wanted posters. Tony recognised him immediately, and realised a moment later how strange it was that he could recognise a stranger by the back of his head and his leather jacket. "I'll be damned, Cas really pulled it off." The stranger murmured to himself before turning to face Tony. He held out his hand. "DiNozzo, nice to meet you. My name is Dean."

Tony stared for a few seconds before shaking the offered hand. He let go of Dean's hand and nodded. "The nameless, faceless friend of Abby." He grinned.

Dean grimaced. "She still has that photo huh? I tried to get her to take a different one, but she seems stuck on that one." He shrugged his shoulder. "Not much anyone can do when Abby sets her mind…" he paused a moment, frowning in consideration. "Is she here?"

Tony shook his head. "She's out at lunch with some friends, but she's due back any minute. You're welcome to wait here if you like…" Tony pointed at McGee's desk. "McGeek is away sick today so you won't get in his way." Dean nodded and made his way over to the spare desk. Tony watched in shock as the young man sat down slowly, as if he was injured. "Dean?" green eyes glanced warily up at the agent. "You okay man? You look kind of sore…"

Dean chuckled awkwardly. "Probably because I am, but I'm alright. I got patched up before I hit the road to see Abby." He smiled fondly when he spoke of Abby, and Tony began to realise that although there had been almost no contact between the two, there was something serious between them. The way Abby spoke of Dean, and the way he was smiling now – there was something special there that distance could not break.

Tony nodded in acceptance. He hated it when people tried to make him get seen to when he thought he was alright, no way was he going to do the same thing to this young man. "Alright then, let me know if you change your mind and I'll get Ducky to come upstairs for you."

Amusement danced in green eyes. "The mortician, I think not. I'm hoping on getting a few more years in before I need to be lying in an autopsy room."

Tony laughed and went back to the reports he had to write up. It took him several minutes to realise what Dean had said. A man younger than thirty only hoping for a few more years? What sort of life did Dean have that he would only be asking for another _few_ years? Tony just hoped that Abby knew what she had gotten herself into. Before he could ask Dean about the comment, Abby came running into the bullpen, glancing around.

When her eyes landed on Dean she relaxed immediately and ran at him, launching herself when she was several feet away. Tony was wincing, knowing that Dean was hurting and Abby was going to get dropped. This was going to be painful all around. But Dean was standing and ready to catch her by the time she got to him. He caught her in his arms and let them spin to take some of the force out of it, Abby wrapped her legs around his hips.

"Oh, you're okay. I saw the Impala and I thought…well, I thought a lot of things. But I was hoping and praying and here you are!" she was placing kisses up and down Dean's jaw, her arms tight around his neck. Tony couldn't believe it when Dean didn't try to put her down – it had to be hurting. He just held her, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead.

"I'm okay Abbs. I've got news though…" he grimaced and Abby held him tighter. She knew it would be bad news, the way he was pulling that face. "Do you want the good or the bad first?"

She blinked up at him, not sure she had heard him correctly. He never had good news; Dean's life just didn't work like that. Things always went from crappy to shit to downright hell. "Umm…the bad. Then the good can cheer me back up again…"

He nodded slowly, swallowing a couple of times. "Sammy and Bobby are…they're dead." He took a deep breath, grimacing when he saw the sadness in her eyes, knowing he had to give her more. "So is Cas and Benny." Tears started to slip down her cheeks and he brushed them away with his thumb, supporting her with one arm. "I'm sorry, baby, I didn't want to give you such bad news…"

When her tears finally slowed she blinked up at him. "You said there was good news too…" she asked softly, not wanting to dwell on what he had just told her. It hurt too much, to imagine Dean in his world without what was left of his family and few friends.

He nodded, a small smile slipping across his lips. "I made a few…arrangements, and I'm out. Both sides are going to leave me and mine alone. They all swore to it. And I've got a few…insurance policies to hold them to it should they change their minds." He looked away from her deep eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "If I can find a job I can stay with you, Abbs…if you want me to." The last was barely a whisper. He didn't think he could bear it if she told him to leave. Of everything that he had endured and survived through the years, that would be the one thing to break him. The one thing he really couldn't bear.

She slapped his shoulder. "Of course I want you to stay!" she glared at him a moment. "How could you think I would want anything else? We've been apart too long Dean. You'll stay with me. What sort of job were you wanting?"

He smiled, a bit of happiness shining in his eyes now that he knew she wanted him around. "I was hoping I could get work in a mechanic shop, or maybe a panel beater…" her eyes shone with mischief and his eyebrow lifted. "Gonna share what scheme is rolling around in that pretty brain of yours baby?"

"One of the NCIS mechanics left us last week, they haven't replaced him yet… And you could do panel beating as a hobby if you still wanted to." a full smile stretched her lips and lit up her eyes.

Dean shook his head and laughed. "You talk to your Gibbs about that first. He might not want me around." He gently set her back on her feet, wincing as he did it. He caught her concerned look and shook his head. "Just a bit banged up. I'll be right in a couple of days." He took a small step back from her, noticing Gibbs over the top of her head. "I'm in wicked need of some pie, I'll be back as soon as you finish explaining this to them. Don't think they'll handle it all so well if I'm here…" He stared at Abby, waiting for her to nod her consent before he left.

Gibbs sat down behind his desk and stared at his nervous forensic scientist. "Abbs? Care to tell me who the beat up guy was who was standing so close to you?" his voice was gentle; he could tell the young man was important to her. Beyond important if her unwilling nod that let the young man leave was anything to go by.

She fell into McGee's chair and took a deep breath. "The faceless guy in the photo?" she waited until Gibbs and Ziva nodded before she continued. "That's Dean. He's had a hard life, beyond hard. His work is dangerous and most of his friends are dead, he has no family left. But the things he's been working on, they're finally finished. He can stay with me now." A happy smile lit up her face in a way Gibbs had never seen, he glanced to Tony for confirmation of his guesses.

The Senior Agent nodded. "They both seem to be pretty important to each other boss. And he said he's got insurance policies to keep the danger away from her. I don't think he would have come back if he didn't know for sure she would be safe. He also…wasn't sure if she would want him to stay. Asked her flat out if he could. Seems to respect her an awful lot boss." Tony spoke softly, hoping not to offend Abby with his summation of what he had seen.

Ziva nodded her agreement with Tony's assessment, by her quick reading Dean seemed to respect Abby beyond anything he might want for himself.

"Alright Abbs, anything else you wanted to add to all of that?" he could see the excitement bubbling up in her, he could see there was something else she needed to add.

She nodded eagerly. "He's a really good mechanic, I mean _really good_. And he's in need of a job and Tom left last week… They could put him on probation or anything, he won't mind. It's just…he needs a job and he's less tense when he's near me…" she waited until Gibbs nodded before continuing. "And I was thinking that after he's been here a while and you know him better…he could maybe try out to be an agent? He likes helping people and he'll get bored being a mechanic, I know he will."

Gibbs choked on his coffee, shocked. "Why with us Abbs? And what makes you think there's even a point of him trying out?"

Abby grinned, beyond ready to tell them all of the great aspects of Dean. "He's as good a fighter as Ziva, as good a shot as Tony, better at hacking than McGee and has as good a judge of character as you Gibbs. He's all of you rolled into one. And he's extremely self-sufficient."

Ziva's jaw dropped in shock and Tony stared in amazement. He had got some funny vibes from the guy, but he wouldn't have bet all of that. "Self-sufficient how, Abbs?" Gibbs asked softly.

She shrugged. "He's a good mechanic because his dad never had the cash to spare to go to a mechanic. He's been…fighting on his own since he was twelve, practically raised his younger brother Sam. He has broken ribs right now, he would have wrapped them himself whether any of his people were available or not. Same with the stitches on his right forearm, even though he's right handed. He's survived some horrible stuff, stuff we can't even imagine, but he's always there for anyone else who needs him, no matter what's going on in his head."

Gibbs nodded slowly. "Alright, if he wants to, after I know him, he can apply to join our team. Why not just the police or something though?"

Abby beamed with pride. "Because, his dad was a marine before…everything else. And because he's more equipped for Special Forces but won't touch that because it will take him away from me."


	2. Chapter 2

Abby called Gibbs in a panic after ten o'clock at night, crying about some stranger who had been hiding in her apartment with a knife. Who Dean was fighting bare-handed. When Gibbs got there five minutes later he was dreading what he would find, and how Abby would cope. Instead, he rushed into the apartment to find Dean holding his own and managing to keep the fight clear of Abby.

Gibbs could see the smile tugging at the corners of the young man's mouth. He was enjoying this. He had been missing this. He went over to Abby and hugged her, keeping an eye on the fight to make sure he didn't get any nasty surprises.

"Gibbs, won't you do something? The guy has a _knife_!" her voice was pinched with worry and her eyes didn't leave Dean for a second.

He shook his head. "Have a look at his eyes, Abbs, at his smile. You told me he was used to violence, accustomed to fighting for his life, said he had been doing it since he was four. He's enjoying this Abby, and he's been missing it. It's what he's used to and you can't blame him for that. But, I will talk to him about maybe sparring with Ziva, so he can blow a little steam off without too much danger."

She relaxed against him and watched as Dean responded comfortably to any attack the stranger made. Finally he had the knife off the guy and he was on his knees. Dean lifted the ski mask and laughed. "Benny, thought it might have been you. You're fighting style doesn't change much, does it?" his small smile grew into an excited grin. He helped the man to his feet and turned him to Abby. "Benny, I want you to meet Abbs. And I want you to apologise to her. You scared the crap out of her, man." He frowned at the man who was obviously his friend.

Benny's eyes widened and he bowed to Abby. "Abby, I am so sorry for scaring you. It's just…" he glanced back at Dean who nodded. "It's how we greet each other, to make sure neither of us are slipping. And it's fun." He grinned happily, clapping Dean on the shoulder. "I missed you man, and I had a helluva time tracking you down."

Dean nodded slowly. "Certain people have made blood-oaths to keep their mouths shut and their hands away from me and mine. I won't be dragged back in Benny." He glanced gratefully at Gibbs. "Thanks for coming Gibbs. I wasn't entirely sure it was Benny, it's nice to know there's someone with Abbs."

Gibbs nodded his acceptance of the thanks. "Maybe you should start sparring with Ziva? You seemed like you miss the fighting Dean." The young man nodded his agreement and turned sharply back to Benny.

"I thought you were dead…" the accusation hung in the air and Benny squirmed. "Fully dead, permanently dead. No coming back dead. What happened?"

He stepped onto the sparring mat, his eyes intent on Ziva. The whole team was there to watch. Tony even brought pop-corn and was calling out to Dean that he was going to be on his ass in seconds. Abby was bouncing in her seat in excitement. It was going to be good for her to see him fight without thinking his life was on the line. Ducky had a first aid kit beside him, knowing how competitive the two were, he had a feeling he was going to need it. McGee and Palmer were staring wide-eyed at the matching looks of glee both Ziva and Dean wore. Gibbs was eager to learn just how good Dean was.

Ziva's left hand snapped out to his ribs, immediately followed by her right aiming where his head would be when he dodged the left hand. But he didn't dodge. He took the hit to the ribs before stepping away in a different direction. "Never fought a Mossad trained agent before." He smiled at her. "Interesting moves already."

"I've never fought someone who's fought all sorts of street garbage and learnt to fight God knows where." She responded politely.

He jabbed her sharply in the ribs with his right hand, the still healing shoulder that Benny had cut the night before. "Shouldn't assume no threat comes from the damaged, thought you would know that already…"

They were at it for almost twenty minutes, Dean's face was bloody and swelling while Ziva's was fine. Despite the fact he acknowledged her as a good fighter; he refused to hit her in the face. He had one knee on the mat, the other leg trying to lever himself into a standing position. Ziva stepped in to knock him flat and he did some strange move that none of them really caught and Ziva was on her back, Dean on both feet once more.

She rolled to her feet, staring at him. "You weren't faking, you were really that hurt and worn out. How'd you move so fast when you're so injured?" her voice was full of wonder.

Dean blinked. "Things assume that when you're on your ass, you're done. But you can't pretend to be on your ass. Can't fool them into it. You have to be almost done, then you need to move better than you ever have. I've discovered that endurance is more important than anything else. You always have to have another 100% to give. No matter how close you are to dead."

Ziva nodded slowly, thinking over his words. "You've got it down pat though, how old were you when you discovered that?"

He shrugged uncomfortably; he didn't want Abby's people to know how strange his life had been. How dangerous, and for how long. "About twelve or so. First time dad let me go out on my own. Luckily, everyone has always thought I was the dumb brother. Just the muscle. Sammy and I though, we're even – we just play to our preferences."


	3. Chapter 3

Gibbs found Dean in the work-bay before dawn on several occasions. The young man would know he was there before he announced himself. It seemed he couldn't sneak up on Dean like he could with the rest of his team. His eyes would snap up from whatever work he was doing as soon as Gibbs was within sight, and he would nod a silent greeting before going back to his work. It made him curious about what Dean was used to fighting, that he would need to be on such high alert at all times.

He watched him with Abby and couldn't find him lacking in either affection or protectiveness. Dean would insist she sit on the inside of any booth, with his back to the wall. He would calmly move her away from strangers without anyone else in the team even realising he had done it. Her apartment door was never unlocked anymore. If she worked late Dean would wait back so that she wasn't going home alone in the dark. If she went clubbing, so did he. Though Gibbs could tell the young man hated the crowds and the loud music for much the same reasons he himself hated them. He was very pleased to find that Dean had a concealed weapons licence, and was more than happy to put it to use. He often caught a glimpse of a pistol tucked into the back of the young man's jeans.

The eighth time Gibbs found him working before dawn, he couldn't _not_ ask anymore. He had to find out what drove the young man from his home and his woman so early. He leant against a work bench, every tool in its place since Dean had started working there. "Dean?" he looked back up from his work, surprised that Gibbs was talking to him as he hadn't before. "I don't want to pry but…I'm curious." Dean sighed and put down his wrench, coming over the Gibbs. "What drives you in here this early of a morning? I know you're not avoiding Abby, so what is it?"

Dean swallowed, scrubbing at his hands with a rag. "Abby told you my old life was dangerous. But danger isn't the half of it. There are things out there that you could never imagine. Things that drive most people insane. I hunted them from the time I was four, until I showed up on your doorstep hoping Abby would take me back. I've survived things that…" he swallowed again, obviously not enjoying thinking about it.

"…things that drive most men beyond insanity. Been cut and bled by things that don't normally delay death, but just seemed to enjoy it so much because it was me." His haunted green eyes swept up to Gibbs' grey gaze, looking intently. "I can't talk to Abby of monsters and horrors; it's nothing she ought to know about. So I work on the cars and I thank the people who stood beside me that I got to come back to her. Even though not quite all of me got to come back."

Gibbs took a deep breath before he spoke again. "I've known a couple of Hunters in the past. I've never been in that line of work, but if you need to talk about it, I'm not one that'll call bullshit on the things you talk about…"

Dean stared for a moment and then spoke softly, as if the words said too loud would call something to him that he didn't want. "I've been to Heaven, Hell and Purgatory, and I've lost count of the times I've died. I made a deal with a Cross-Roads-Demon to bring my brother back from the dead. I was on the rack for forty years before I took myself off and began torturing other souls, just to make it stop. I had a friend who was a vampire, another was the King of Hell. I'm on speaking terms with Death, and put one of the Fates back in her place. I was the vessel of Michael and the friend of Castiel. I watched my brother throw himself into the Pit to keep Michael and Lucifer from destroying our world." His voice remained soft, but Gibbs could see the agony in his eyes. "I buried the last of my friends and family before I came back to Abby. She's the last of my world, the one piece I cannot and will not lose to their war."

Gibbs shook his head slightly. "You're building a new world. Tony gets along with you and can't believe someone will finally quote movies with him. Ziva is pleased to have an equal to spar with on the mats. McGee is excited to have someone who understands his computer words, even though you pretend not to. Ducky enjoys discussing the merits of different field dressings for wounds. And I am very pleased to finally have a son-in-law."

Dean's eyes widened at the last and Gibbs laughed. "You've been carrying that ring around in your pocket for a week. I recognise the look in your eyes, same look I had. She'll say yes, I'll give you my blessing – you know this. So, you haven't asked because you're scared of your world catching up with you. If it does, and you need backup, all you need do is tell us how to fight your monsters. We'll be right beside you, every step of the way. Abby won't be directly in the fight, but she grew up in New Orleans – she'll be thrilled to study lore with you."


	4. Chapter 4

Dean walked into the bullpen later that morning to find McGee glaring at his computer. "What's up McGee?" he flopped into the chair kept beside McGee's desk and stared intently at the computer screen. "Techie problems? You?"

McGee scowled at him. "Believe it or not, I do run into a wall every now and then. Gibbs wants me to pull this sealed file from Fornell's server but I can't get at it. I've tried everything that I can think of and Gibbs is going to be back soon…" he cringed, he hated to disappoint Gibbs.

"Talk to Abbs yet?" Dean suggested softly. He knew how it could hurt a person's pride to need to ask for help in what was considered their field of expertise. McGee nodded in response; he and Abby had been brainstorming for twenty minutes.

Dean pushed McGee away from the keyboard, his wheely office chair spinning as he moved across the floor. A moment later Dean was clicking away, stroking keys faster than McGee had known he could. Sure, they talked tech fairly often, but Dean had yet to let anyone _see_ his skills on a keyboard. It was something he seemed to feel embarrassed about, though McGee couldn't understand why.

All too soon Dean was shifting back from the desk. "There you go, file retrieved, no need to face an angry Boss Man." He leant back in his chair, leaning his head against the filing cabinet and crossing his arms.

McGee wheeled back to his desk, glancing through the information Dean had retrieved for him. "But how did you…? I didn't know you _could_ hack!"

Dean's lips twitched into a smirk. "Come on Timmy, who do you think did all the hacking when Sam was away? Dad sure as hell couldn't do it. Who do you think taught Sammy in the first place for that matter?" The team knew the bare bones of how Dean had grown up, of the 'work' he had done before coming home to Abby. Gibbs had been the only one so far to realise he was a Hunter.

McGee nodded, staring at the computer screen. "Well sure I knew that but…I just never thought it out I guess. Why didn't Abby suggest I talk to you? She's been trying to help me get in there for twenty minutes."

Dean shrugged, looking away. "She knows I don't…like people to see that I can do that. All my life, I was the muscle, Sammy was the brains. It got to be simpler to not let on that we both excelled in more than one thing. People wouldn't believe it anyway, so why try, right? And then if we _had_ to do something that was out of the norm…people would stare and make a big deal out of it." He shook his head. "So I don't let on."

Gibbs walked in, coffee in hand, before McGee could respond. "Got that file for me McGee?" he asked as he sat behind his desk, glancing curiously at Dean. He didn't often make his way to the bullpen.

"He sure did, just tidying it up a bit before he sends it to you." Dean responded, wandering over to the elevators. Forensic evidence was slow on this case, and he was hoping Abby might have time to have a morning tea break.

x x x

McGee waited until the elevator closed behind Dean before turning to Gibbs. "Gibbs…I didn't get that file for you. I'd hit a wall and couldn't fathom a way around it, neither could Abby when I called her about it. Dean glanced through what we'd tried so far and a few minutes later the file was open and downloading."

Gibbs turned to look at McGee, giving the younger agent his full attention. He didn't know why this had amazed the kid, he and Dean were forever talking about computer things. "And? I thought he knew the sort of things you and Abbs know? Why's this surprise you McGee?" he didn't know half of the stuff Abby and McGee did in the cyber world, and he didn't even try to pretend that he did. If McGee wanted him to be amazed, he would have to explain why.

"Sure, we talk about it a lot. Discuss the merits of different programs and things but Gibbs, knowing how computers and the internet work and being able to sit down and hack an FBI file are two _very different_ things." McGee tried to explain without getting too technical on his boss. "It's like knowing you turn the key in the ignition to start a car versus pulling one completely apart, fixing something and putting it back together again."

Gibbs nodded slowly. "So he's more skilled with computers than he's let on. But he told us how he was raised, the things he did, so it's not that he's trying to hide that he's done illegal things in the past. Did he say why he hadn't let on about it?"

McGee nodded, emailing the file to Gibbs before walking over to his desk. He got the feeling that Dean wouldn't appreciate the whole bullpen overhearing this because he was too lazy to walk four feet so he could whisper.

"He said something about people thinking he was the muscle and his brother was the brains. It seems like whenever he showed how bright he is the reaction was poor. Eventually he just stopped letting people see it. He said he didn't tell us because it's habit to hide it now."

Gibbs sighed, wishing like hell he could travel back in time and slap John Winchester up the back of the head. He knew the man had loved his sons, but someone should have knocked some sense into him as to how to show those boys he loved them.

Dean was certain of himself in most areas of his life; his love for Abby, cars, guns and fighting, and he was sure lore was on that list. But when it came to other areas he was sorely lacking in any confidence at all. The Hunter _knew_ he was a good hacker, but refused to let anyone see it because the reactions had always been poor. And for him to have received such reactions he had to have been portrayed in a certain way.

John had been proud of his eldest and his abilities as a Hunter, but had obviously talked up the ones he favoured and not mentioned anything he didn't find important. So whenever anyone else in Dean's life had witnessed his other skills they would have reacted in shock. Not having imagined he could do such things because he was, as he had told McGee, _the muscle._ Gibbs was sure that Dean, for his whole life, would have taken that shock as proof that people thought he couldn't do certain things because they thought he was dumber than Sam.


End file.
